


Champagne And Apple Cider II: Midnight Supper

by BradyGirl_12



Series: Champagne And Apple Cider [2]
Category: DCU, Smallville
Genre: Birthday, Clex - Freeform, Dinner, Established Relationship, Fluff, Food, Gift, Gift Fic, Gift Work, Holidays, M/M, Male Slash, New Year's Eve, Romance, Series, Slash, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3108062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradyGirl_12/pseuds/BradyGirl_12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lex waits for Clark to show up for their New Year’s Eve supper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Champagne And Apple Cider II: Midnight Supper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ctbn60](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ctbn60/gifts).



> Original LJ Date Of Completion: December 19, 2014  
> Original LJ Date Of Posting: January 3, 2015  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC and Warner Brothers do, more’s the pity.  
> Original LJ Word Count: 1304  
> Feedback welcome and appreciated.  
> Author’s Note: Happy Birthday, [Ctbn60](ctbn60.livejournal.com)! :)  
> This instalment actually takes place before [the first one in the series. I’ve always wanted to expand it and this seemed to fit. :) The entire series can be found ](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/tag/champagne%20and%20apple%20cider)[here.](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/31604.html)

  
_"My life’s upside-down_  
_And my heart’s_  
_Right-side-up._  
_I’ll wait ‘til the clock_  
_Strikes twelve_  
_And starts_  
_Something new_  
_As long as_  
_It’s with you."_  


  


**Diana Johnson**  
**_Mahogany Records_**  
**1976 C.E.**

Lex inspected the table set by the penthouse’s tall windows. The tablecloth was snowy-white and a centerpiece of red and white poinsettias in a silver bowl graced the middle, flanked by silver candlesticks with white candles. Gold plates and silverware were set in two places, and cranberry-colored linen napkins were artfully arranged on each plate. 

The food was still in the kitchen, staying warm in covered pots on top of the stove and in the oven. After splendid homemade meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas by Martha Kent, Lex had opted for catering tonight. He had champagne chilling in a silver bucket filled with crushed ice. 

The penthouse was still decorated in holiday style with a tree in the corner and strings of holly on the balustrade of the staircase and festooned over the mantel. Christmas cards lined the mantelpiece and a Christmas village covered a side table.

His suit was pale lavender and he wore a white silk shirt. His platinum wristwatch glinted in the dim lighting as he put a small square of mint chocolate wrapped in green foil on Clark’s plate. Music played in the background from his state-of-the-art entertainment center. He had chosen a classical radio station tonight. He could keep track of Clark’s presence around the city via bulletins. The music stopped and an announcer’s voice said, _“A five-alarm fire has broken out in the **Metropolis Arms Hotel**. Superman has been spotted right above the building.”_

Lex swore softly. So much for his carefully-planned New Year’s Eve supper. He supposed he should feel guilty about his petty feelings while Clark was saving desperate people but there was always someone needing help and he’d been through too many ruined dates to feel particularly magnanimous. 

_Oh, well, I guess that’s the life of a superhero’s boyfriend._

He would have to put the food in the refrigerator for re-heating later. The grandfather clock softly chimed the half-hour of eleven-thirty.

_Guess the ball will drop without us this year._

Lex clicked on the TV. Happy crowds were shown in the packed Chronos Square in downtown Metropolis, wearing silly hats and oversized glasses that trumpeted the New Year. The TV reporter interviewed the revelers who blew noisemakers and jumped up and down, their cheeks pink with cold and eyes bright with excitement. 

“The pickpockets must be having a field day.” Lex didn’t care that he was talking out loud. Who was going to hear him? “I can just imagine standing unable to move for hours. They must all have super-bladders!”

Lex shut off the TV. Maybe he would put it on again before midnight. What else did he have to do?

He stared down at the street below. It was nearly empty. People were either in Chronos Square or in nightclubs partying. The rest were at home ready to greet the New Year. The lights on in the apartment buildings depressed him. How many people were alone tonight?

He drifted over to the side table with the little village on it. Over the years they had collected all the pieces. Clark loved it because it reminded him of Smallville. There was a church, general store, town hall, residential houses, farmhouses, and a firehouse. Tiny figures walked and skated and rode in wagons. It was all very Currier and Ives and Lex wondered again for the umpteenth time how two such different people as he and Clark were could be in love. Clark was country village and he was city penthouse. Clark was apple cider and he was champagne.

He sat down on the couch and listened to the music and was just about ready to start putting the food away when Superman showed up on the balcony.

Clark was covered in soot and looked tired. Lex felt guilty about his annoyance. Clark had just saved people from a terrible fire. How petty and arrogant he was!

“Sorry I’m late, Lex.”

“It’s not midnight yet.” The clock read 11:50.

“I can shower and dress and be back for my New Year’s kiss before the Witching Hour.” Clark winked as he hurried to the bathroom.

Lex relaxed, amused that he hadn’t been aware of his tension. If Clark was winking, then he had been able to save everyone. He went into the kitchen and started gathering the food.

By the time Clark came into the living room with wet hair and glowing skin clad in black dress pants and a cranberry-colored V-neck sweater the table was set with supper and the candles lit.

“Mmm, smells great.” Clark padded over to the table in cranberry socks.

_Sexy as hell._

Lex smiled and swept his arm over the table. “We’ve got mountain brook rainbow trout, russet potatoes, asparagus spears with hollandaise sauce, and a Black Forest chocolate cake for dessert.”

“Well, now, a great way to start the New Year.” Clark smiled. “Champagne, I see.”

“The very best. And I have some apple cider from the farm chilling in the fridge.” 

“Thank you for everything, Lex.” Clark poured the champagne and offered Lex a glass. The clock showed 11:53.

“You’re entirely welcome.”

They gazed down at the street and suddenly it didn’t seem quite so forlorn as earlier. A man bent against the wind as he walked, his scarf blowing out behind him as he clutched his hat. Scraps of newspaper whirled down the street and lights winked on in apartment buildings, cozy and warm.

Clark reached into the pocket of his pants when they sat down. “I was going to give you this with dessert at midnight, but I should learn never to make plans.” 

“Probably for the best.” Lex felt his heart pound as Clark presented a small black box. He took it, priding himself on his hand being steady.

He opened the box and saw a gold band with tiny chips of rubies, topazes, sapphires, and amethysts.

“I know the gems are pretty small, but they are pretty,” Clark said nervously. “Whoops, here I’m talking about the ring…it’s a wedding ring, unless you’d like to use it as an engagement ring and we can get gold bands for the wedding…there’s a duplicate for me…I haven’t even popped the question yet! Lex, will you marry me?” 

Lex had listened to Clark babble while staring at the ring. It would probably take his lover years to pay it off, but he wouldn’t offer to help. Clark was willing to live in this plush penthouse and accept expensive gifts but his pride would be hurt in this case.

Did he want to marry Clark? There would be a lifetime of missed dinners and holiday plans gone awry, and he knew himself well enough to know that his frustration would build and eventually might pull them apart. Was he ever going to be able to share Clark with the rest of the world?

_And what about my possessiveness? It’s bad enough now that he’s my boyfriend. What will it be like when he’s my husband?_

_I like control and order and life with the guy who is Superman would be chaos of the neverending variety._

Lex looked up into Clark’s hopeful eyes. He saw love and family and an exciting life ahead if he said yes.

_Besides, how can I resist those eyes?_

“Yes.”

As he and Clark stood, the younger man sweeping him up into a kiss as the clock struck twelve, Lex knew that he was taking a chance. He didn’t believe in successful lifelong marriage, but it would be a helluva ride.

And who knew? Maybe they could be among the lucky statistics. At least it wouldn’t be boring.

“Happy New Year, Lex.”

“Happy New Year, Clark.”


End file.
